The present invention relates generally to engraving articles of manufacture, and more particularly to techniques for simultaneously mass producing engraved articles of manufacture with potentially different customized engraved patterns.
Mechanical engraving is the traditional way to produce engraved articles, and involves the removal of material from the substrate through mechanical means such as precision drilling and grinding. With mechanical engraving machines, it is possible to achieve very precise high-resolution engravings with a substantial range of depth to result in an engraving having an ascetically-pleasing appearance.
Use of a laser is another technique for engraving articles. Laser engraving involves modification of the optical appearance of the surface of the article by a laser beam, for example through ablation of material and/or removal of some of a surface layer. Other types of laser marking include carbonization (slight burning) for substrates such as paper, cardboard, wood, or polymers, transformation (e.g. bleaching) of pigments (industrial laser additives) in a plastic material substrate, expansion of a polymer, if e.g. some additive is evaporated, and generation in the substrate of surface structures such as small bubbles. The ability of a laser to mark a surface and the quality of the marking depends on multiple factors, including the wavelength of the laser, the power of the laser, and the material being marked.
Many types of articles are engraved. For example, businesses will often engrave pens, plaques, business card holders, and other promotional items with information such as the name of a business or a marketing or other type message. The types of articles and reasons for engraving such articles are numerous. However, one common factor in the engraving industry is that the article being engraved is not typically manufactured by the entity doing the engraving. More typically, articles are manufactured by a first entity (e.g., a first company or business), ordered by a second entity (e.g., a second company or business), and engraved by either the second entity or yet a third entity (e.g., a third company or business).
For the general consuming public, engraving a product is often considered a luxury due to the extra care, time and expense involved and the added manufacturing step of performing the engraving. Accordingly, engraving an item may be reserved for special occasions or important events or distinctions. Furthermore, engraving machines have heretofore been directed at engraving a single article of manufacture at a time. For this reason, orders for customized engraved articles of manufacture are typically short-run (for example, 1 to less than 5000) manufacturing jobs and don't lend themselves to mass-production of multiple different engraving jobs.
It would be desirable to have systems and methods that enable mass production of customized engraved articles of manufacture.